I Want

My on-line friend....okay okay that is stretching it but she did turn me on to the best quilt shop in my area AND she does amazing work...and she's in a Modern Quilt Guild...and she lives not that far way......

Anyways...

Andie did a "I Want" post because she is sick of winter and a million other things. Are you feeling it? I know I am. And at the end of her post she says: What about you - whattaya craving?

Which gives me the perfect reason to blatantly rip-off her post ideal.

So Andie....here is what I crave...

Although the Maldives are an awesome choice...I'm feeling Greece right now. Since I'm not beach material I need more than just the sea and sand. I think Greece covers that with some of the most fantastic food out there. And the statues. And the history. Yes. I'm feeling Greece.
30 Days at a Thai Detox and weight loss resort. I'm feeling so Anna Nicole....and not in a good way.
Like Andie...I could really use new shades. Since I've never had expensive ones I have no clue what I'm missing....and intend to keep it that way. As it is I have 4 pairs of damaged pairs in my new car that were all dug up while emptying the old one last weekend. Man I'm tough on shades.
A snake massage. Okay, okay. I'm lying. But I would like my own personal masseuse and chiropractic visit once a week for the rest of my life.
Like Andie...a three day nap in a nice little room would be heavenly. But my room needs a few books if I'm going to be in there for three days.

A day hike with my family in the nice 70 degree weather. Complete with a picnic lunch. And NO ONE complains until its time to go home and they are disappointed that its all over. (A girl can dream right?)
I was going to put a home of my own next.....but even that is all about the kitchen. I want a kitchen. I want to be able to walk through the kitchen without having to touch anyone else that might happen to be in the same room. I want to be able to cook. Our favorite foods are done in the wok or sushi/nori rolls and I can't even make them in this house because there is no counter space and prep space. So very very tired of that.
I can't wait to get started gardening. We are thinking about giving the straw bales a try this year. Have any of you tried this? Our tomatoes didn't get very big last year in the pots so I want to go a little bigger if we can.....and the ground isn't an option.
2012 Charger. Oh yes. The Jag has always been my fav car....but I'm thinkin' American now. Even though we did just buy a new van and it will be another 7 years before I see a real car. Being a mom does have its limitations.
My own quilting/sewing/reading/office/room. But I might not ever come out...especially if I have my own
reading nook......

And finally. What I am really craving. Is a weekend. With my girls.

So what are you all craving?

That's Why.

Because you are not replaceable.

I know you don't understand that.

I know you don't get all of our limits and restrictions.

They really are for your own good.

Because you are not replaceable.

There is no second best.

There is only you.

Always you.

So when you fight back I hope you know.

Its for you.

Even though it seems unreasonable.

Its for you.

Because you are not replaceable.

You hold a very important place in our hearts, minds and souls.

And you are not replaceable.

That's why.

If I Don't Show Up For Work....I Get Fired.

With no benefits.

With no unemployment check.

Its time our elected politicians get the same. All parties. All issues.

Why do they not have to do the job they were elected for?

(And who is paying for the mass exoduses that are going on? Unless they have a second job or inherited money...that would be US.)

America's politicians are the dirtiest employees on this earth. Power corrupts completely.

But its still the best place to live on earth also.

The question is.....for how much longer?

Tweetie-Pies and Flutter-By's

I saved the Bitty Princess' quilt to show last as Kylie had only been shown a portion of it. You know I can't send big brother a quilt after making little brother a quilt and leave her out. Besides, I had all this left-over material from Songbirds quilt, the wedding quilt I made and Blessings in Blue. Perfect opportunity to do some more destashing. Since I know we are not done moving around yet, I'm trying real hard not to collect a lot of fabrics because the stuff weights so much....and we were already over our limit when we moved here.

Anyways.

I was very excited because I was making the quilt completely from my scraps. How frugal! So I pulled out what I had and then started searching the free stuff I've pulled off the internet until I found a pattern I knew I could pull off. And here she is:
Of course I got to use my Go! cutter for the squares and all of the inside 2.5 inch white sashing. that means I had this quilt cut in no time at all. I think I did it all while watching a Netflix movie on the laptop.

For all the white sashings I used the three white on white fabrics left over from Tricia's quilt. The larger outside border is a scroll, the longer inside sashing has butterfly's and the smaller pieces in-between the blocks is the same pebble pattern on big brothers quilt.
I quilted a flower pattern on the outer border in aqua and loved the way it turned out. I couldn't bring myself to do the inner sashings like I did on Songbirds quilt and Angels of Summer because I didn't want to cover up the butterflys.

As I was working on this project I ran across them most amazing girly safari fabric. I KNOW! I already had my backing ready to go even. I was already basting it. But I couldn't help it. I had to have it. It just made sense to me to add that same touch of Africa that her brothers had. So I spent money. Full price even. I never do that if I can help it. And oooohhhhhhh I was NOT disappointed!!!! This fabric is so AWESOME!!! (And was well worth unbasteing the first choice and setting the whole project aside while I waited on it to be shipped to me.)



And that was the surprise that Kylie hadn't seen. So much for the piece I was going to use up on the back....but I already have a plan for it since I decided to barter two custom birthday cakes for my girls......
The binding on this quilt has a story. I saw the fabric and shook my head because it was so ugly. This was quite awhile ago. But I thought it could make a very interesting looking binding since you would only see a small strip and it had so many colors I could work with. So I bought a small bit with that in mind. When I put the top of this quilt together and was looking to decide what to bind it with I ran across that piece and was surprised at how much of the green and aqua was in it. So I decided to try it out and it just worked. So if you have an ugly piece of fabric make sure to test its feasibility as a binding. It just might surprise you! Especially if its colorful and you have used so much white on the front.

Kylie was sweet enough to text me a picture of the kids with their quilts. Hey girl - can you email those so I can print them? I haven't figured out how to get it to a jpeg from my text...it ends up being something else I can't open.

(I keep a "quilt diary" at the advice of others and its fun to be able to slip a picture of the recipient in with the write-up of the quilt with their quilt. Oh, and Heather, I could use one of the Boy-o and his also if you don't mind! )

Well....back to my big project. These two little guys were a nice break from it!

A Far Country

I just sent off a box to a couple of very special kids. Last summer I made a quilt for their new baby brother. Big brother really liked the African theme so I filed that info in the back of my brain. Then I kept running into this awesome African panel when I was searching for materials for a big project I'm doing. I kept thinking that if I took the left-overs from the African quilt I could piece another top if I had a back. But my resources were committed in another direction. Finally I could stand it no longer...and texted Kylie with a picture of the panel and told her if she was interested and could get me one of these I'd make a quilt with the fabric I still had for H. And she was interested.

So Kylie and H. went to the quilt shop to try and find the panel. We had determined that we could order it if they didn't have it. But H. was THERE and there was a fabric he did like so he wanted it. Well okay then! I'm great with that! So he picked his own backing fabric (which I think is so cool - not just the fabric, but that HE picked it) and they sent it to me.

I pulled out all the scraps from little brothers quilt and was delighted to be putting them to use as they are quilt shop quality fabrics and just yummy. Love them. Kylie did happen to mention that H.'s favorite is lions. So, I couldn't help myself. I went online and searched for lion pillow panels to make a focal point for the front. I found an awesome one on *bay for less than $2.

So here it is:
My camera would not focus very well with all the different patterns going all over the place. Sorry its not real clear.
This is the back with the fabric H. picked. I added the borders so I could make his quilt a little bigger. The black doesn't show but its a black on black with a pebble pattern. Adds a cool touch when you see the real thing.
I loved the fabrics so much I didn't want to quilt over them. Instead I just did the ole stitch in the ditch and then added another square about 3/8 inch inside each block. Great for not taking away from the fabrics.
Quilting from the back.
The pillow panel. Don't you just love the intent look of the lion? So glad I found this!

So little Mr. H. I do hope you enjoy your new quilt. It was so much fun to make...and helped me destash!

(And just as a funny....the week I was basting this together to complete, his mommy did a FB post about a conversation they had about color. Seems H. likes all colors...except black and white...because he just wasn't sure they were very useful. I'm now very curious to find out whether or not he changes his mind! LOL!)

Can Somebody Help Me??

Ok - I do most of my blog reading in Google Reader. Its quick and I love it. But sometimes you have to click through to read the whole post or see pictures depending on the bloggers settings. No problem.

But lately about 1/3 of my blogs aren't showing the pictures. I click through to the sites even and still not picture. And other people can see them because there are comments on them.

What is this?

Is anyone else having this problem?

Is there some new setting somewhere I'm not aware of and haven't handled? If so why would be on blogger and reader????

It is totally driving me nuts.

Anybody got a clue???

I Hope You......

A love letter to my children on Valentines Day....

Dear Babies.....

Look at you! Aren't you amazing? All three of you amaze and inspire me in such different ways. And all three of you hold my heart in your hands. I give it to you gladly. You are the future and I can't wait to see what your lives bring.

And my heart holds many hopes and wishes for you.

Have you heard the song "I Hope You Dance"?

Well, my hopes are really not the same although it is a catchy and sweet song. I do hope you choose to dance instead of sit on the sidelines, and I hope the majesty of God's creation leaves you awestruck, but my hopes for you are more about what you learn and how you live.

You see, mom has lived a little as she's moved around a lot. And when you spend your whole life erasing the chalk board of your life and starting over -- well, so many things that our society call important just AREN'T.

So, my crazy, funny, beautiful, amazing, sarcastic, pouty, talented, loving, wise babies....I Hope you....

LEARN. Every day is good but at least one new thing a week. Because when we stop learning new things we stagnate. And you can decide to learn something new, give it a try, and then decide you aren't interested. There is no foul in trying and rejecting. That includes people. Just do all rejecting with style and grace and there is no shame.

I hope you READ. To read is to learn. To read is to expand your horizons. To read is to be quiet and still within yourself without needing to be electronically stimulated or entertained by others. To read is to relax. To read is to do something for yourself. And audio books count.

I hope you WRITE. Because writing can get that subject out of your head and onto paper. Sometimes that is the best healing ever. And if you aren't much of a talker or sharer -- it can be therapeutic. Don't write for an audience....write for yourself. If you write down those things that need to be released from your mind, it won't matter what others think of that writing. You aren't doing it for them. Audiences are fickle and over-rated and mostly busy chasing the newest thing. You won't stay the newest thing for long.
I hope you COOK. Just ask big brother....knowing how to cook has lots of perks. Because most kids, including girls, are not being taught to cook anymore. And being able to make cookies, a smoothy and your favorite pie....is not actually cooking. Cooking is being able to put a complete meal on the table....all at the same time. And breaking bread and sharing a meal with someone is one of the most intimate and caring things you can do. Eating is something you do with those you love. Enjoy their presence and their conversation. Give them the attention they deserve.

I hope you learn to value the core of who you are over the approval of others. Friends come and friends go. Most of them go and never return. Literally 99% of the people you know in life are going to walk out of it. And the "in" crowd? You have got to be kidding me. I promise you this....I have seen many of the "in" crowd as adults. They aren't happy. They are still trying to keep up with their image. They are burdened by debt and are still trying to one-up everyone - because their life is all about what other people think. That is their focus in life. And the outside picture very rarely matches the inside picture. Don't live like that babies. Love yourself. Explore what YOU want to do or be. You are the only one living your life. Don't give control to someone else.

I hope you LOVE. One big love that you marry and spend every last day of your life with. Its not important when you meet this love...just that you do have that one big passion in life. My hopes are that you do not have many minor loves before that. Every broken relationship leaves some kind of scar on your heart....and my hope for you is that you give your true love as unblemished a heart as possible. Do you want to hand over a battle scarred and worn heart? To the one grand passion you spend forever with? Do not give your heart away easy my loves. It is a treasure that affects your whole life. Save it for the one that deserves it the most.

I hope you LAUGH. Long, hard and crazy. And mostly, I hope you laugh at yourself and with your loved ones.
I hope you TRAVEL. To another country and hopefully for a period of time, not just a quick visit. Although all of you have lived in another country as children, I hope you do so as adults. Why? Because those that have not lived outside of the USA, have NO CLUE what it is we have here.....or how much more of everything we have in our country. Want something after 5 pm on a weekday....you can get it. Travel somewhere and find you forgot something....you can replace it easily and quickly. I want you to know that being truly "poor" means not have a roof over their heads with running water, heat or even a stove. They sure don't have cars, bling and cell phones. And no one gives them a check. No one cares if they starve. In the US there are at least some measures to help....even if they don't always work. Its much easier to learn true empathy in a foreign country. And when you grasp that empathy, you begin good works.

I hope you HONOR.......
Your father, grandfather and great-grandfather and all those career military that give up all of their youth to serve a country whose congress takes and takes and takes the benefits they promised until they all wonder why congress hates them so much. These men and women think of their fellow countrymen before themselves and their own children. And although that is hard when you are one of those children or spouses, you cannot question your loved ones integrity or honor. They are the real deal.

And I hope you REMEMBER....

The joy of a daddy returning from war......and never forget all those that didn't return, and their families. Our countries privileges are built on their blood.

I hope you surround yourself with FAMILY. And realize that family is not about DNA. You can walk away from a poisonous relationship even if you share DNA. You can develop a family relationship without it. Although the DNA will always be a part of your life, the relationship can be a choice. A hurtful DNA relationship can be left behind. And I think the three of you know that we have plenty of family that we are not related to. We make them part of our family because of the love and bonds we have. You too can make that choice. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

But mostly, my babies I hope you KNOW that no matter what your path in life, no matter if you do none of these things.......I love you. I love the people you are becoming. And even if I don't agree with your choices, I honor your individuality and ability to make those choices.

Because I love you guys.

Always.

Love,
Mom

Snow Madness

My friend Wendy over at Born in Our Hearts had a random thoughts day forced on her by old man winter. I found myself reading through her list and giggling because I feel every bit as random right now. No complete or compelling thoughts on anything in life....just a bunch of strung together craziness all brought on by being house bound and forced to see yet MORE snow...again.

And I'm not even in the part of the country that has been hit so hard. This is just the regular stuff.

But therein lies the reason for so few posts. It's my own version of snow madness. Loosing my mind slowly. And the whiter it is out the windows.....the stupider I feel. Seriously...I think I lose IQ points every time it snows.

So here goes the incomplete madness of my random thoughts lately:

*There is never anything on tv. Thank goodness for Netflix. I could easily give up cable as long as we have said Netflix.

*The thought of getting rid of cable is sorta funny. Both my girls would go into withdraw. Like true drug addicts. To unplug the teen from Glee would have far reaching consequences.

*I swore, over twenty years ago when I got married, that if I stayed home at any point I would NOT watch daytime tv. And I still don't. Is that anti-American?

*I also swore I'd never get fat.....and I'm fairly certain I have crossed over into the "obese" category this winter. Oy!

*Dogs that don't like snow can do some really cool chasing up on back feet, hopping like a kangaroo when they really want something. And its very funny.

*The first time you hear a tree crack, shatter and fall and wait for the thump on the roof (because life is iced over in a special kind of hell)....is memorable. And the relief you feel when its your neighbors tree and not yours.....

*If you live in snow country....keep all camping gear very accessibly stored for winter storm time. If you have it and are prepared.....you might get it out and ready several times, but Murphy's Law dictates that you don't need it and will just have to put it away again. And this is a good thing.

*Water standing on the kitchen floor every day from a bad washer drain is preferable to having workmen coming in and out and snaking said drain over and over and over again. And after snaking a drain 3 times you should be able to deduce that it isn't working.

*Old houses fall apart in cold weather. And I'm so very glad I don't own a house here and just have to pick up a phone and call when something goes wrong. On the list today: washer drain and garage door that wont close.

*Husbands should not be able to go to TDY to such places as Texas and Arizona when we are snowed in and cold here. Its just not right. And the next 10 days will be very, very longgggggg.

*Hot tea is my friend.

*Of all the signs of aging that I see daily now, why is it that the old looking hands upset me the most?

*If I had known a new washer and dryer would cut my laundry time literally in half....I'd have put those suckers on credit instead of saving up!!!

*Where DID the romance go?

*Just how tired are you when you put both contacts in one eye? And take the top one out and reinsert over and over again.....and not understand why you can't see?

*Having a 15 year old and a 6 year old snowbound in the same house together....is no different than having two three year olds going at it. It defies logic.

*Gray hair. Its a permanent fixture in my life.

*The timing of the sale of Girl Scout cookies is retarded. People want to diet after Christmas season....not buy cookies.

*Watching a teenager with every advantage self destruct feels like the biggest tragedy and waste ever. Because it is. And it doesn't matter if its your child, a relative or the kid across the street....it is all a huge tragedy.

*I always miss the good parties.

*I should have be born in an Asian country. You know, where they eat real food for breakfast? Normal food. Breakfast foods just don't work for me.

*Soup is good food.

*We've used up all our snow days. Wonder how far into summer the kids will be playing make-up when all is said and done.

*I'm ready for summer vacation.

But now, now it is time for a nap. My sleep schedule is all messed up and my husband snores. Not a good combination.

FCC Chinese New Year

Another year of celebrating with Families With Children From China.

We don't have the same involvement and connection with the FCC here as we have had at the last two places we have lived. It is sad. Moving around and starting all over again and again is wearing me down.

And I always get hit up to take on an office as soon as I open my mouth. Just too busy with a teen to go there.....so I'm keeping a very low profile.

But this is the one thing Alia wants to do every year. So we honor that. To the tune of about $100 for sub-par Chinese food. At least in the other states they actually held the celebrations in real Chinese restaurants instead of a hotel conference center. But I'm not saying a word....

Happy Chinese New Year

Autumn Asks: Do You Have A Sweet Tooth?

I was awarded a sweet little award today. Danie over at Looking for My Punk Rock Girl awarded it to me. And I'm so glad she did. Not because I feel especially sweet or anything...but because I went to her blog and read through it as I didn't recognize her name.

LOVE the way this young woman writes and expresses herself. Love that she loves old movies and books and music I love. I am looking forward to reading her posts and seeing where she ends up in life. And Danie.....I'd love to see some of your paintings. Really. I would.

I also checked out the other blogs she awarded and loved them also. Some really good writers in the bunch.

Now...a quick side trip:

Mighty Mouse: "Mom, which one is my sweet tooth? Is it this one?"

Kid slays me.

Refocus:

So, as a winner of this award I am supposed to list 5 of my guilty pleasures:

1. Coca-Cola. Yep. You knew that one. Cancer in a can and I can't kick the habit.

2. Chai Latte from the coffee shop. Way too expensive, plus I'm not supposed to have milk. Don't do it often but I love them.

3. Books. I have book cases of them. Considering how often we move and how much they weight this is not a smart practice. But I'll just say it......the military libraries are not impressive.

4. Netflix. The three at a time and streaming leveling. I have my queue, hubs has his, teen has hers. Plus I have that sucker playing on the computer the whole time I'm in the quilting cave. Do you know how many cheesy B rate movies you can find on streaming???? Ahhhhh. Nerd heaven. Love it.

5. Lake house trips to see my favorite group of friends. Expensive. And worth so much more than I could ever spend.

Now its time for me to award the Sweet Blog award to 5 others:

Debbie at Suburb Sanity - because I didn't see it on Danie's blog list and I think she would love Debbie's writing.

Jane at Sew Create It - someone that I am just getting to know and really enjoy. She donates to Project Linus on a regular basis.

Wendy at Born In Our Hearts - another adoptive parent, sarcastic, mature (hah) parent who I totally get and hope to meet some day.

Quilting Ranny - because she truly is sweet. She is raising her grandkids, helps her grown kids and donates quilts all the time. I consider her an inspiration.

Krista at Spotted Stone - a new blog for me. Mom of three, living in Alaska and lots of outdoor family fun and quilting/sewing. I hate snow but she makes it look so good!



Enjoy!

A Complaint Letter To The Crappiest Electric/Gas Company Billing Service Out There

...posted on my blog because, gasp(!), they do not provide residential customers with an email address or written address for complaints. What, allow a PAPER TRAIL of how much they suck???? No way. Instead they will list a phone number for you to call. Bet its farmed out to India or something. Not bothering. After all, what is that poor person on the other end of the phone going to do?? Nothing. And they aren't responsible for or able to fix anything anyways. Beautiful set up for a crappy company.


So - we live in military housing, right? Well, civilian run military housing. And non-military can live in it also if they meet certain criteria.

And one of the selling points of trying to get the military to move into old, crusty, poorly insulated, totally over priced for what you get and uglier than sin housing is the "government rate" utility bills.

Except the newest utility company that won this government contract got the wrong memo. Apparently they thought this was one of those charge the government $600 for a $6 wrench kind of deals. No dude. Its not the government paying this bill. It's little Joe Airman. You know, the one that doesn't make anywhere near as much as his civilian counterpart .... which is WHY they have to give health care, housing allowances and deals on utilities....to bring them UP TO somewhere close to what a civilian makes.

So overcharging all winter last year -- to the tune of OVER $300 a month on electric/gas for a 1400 sq foot house...... Well, there was a whole lot of freezing and using the kids milk money to pay those bills by all the poor military saps unlucky enough to rent these houses.

Now, eventually that did get fixed in lowered bills over time for all the overcharges. But seriously? Are you proud of that? Shame on you.

And then what do we get the first month of this year? What? You couldn't go that long without trying to screw us again? Seriously?

So we pay our electric bills at the first of the month like we've all been doing this last year. And its higher than normal due to heating costs. So we are already tightening our belts all across the board. And the 15th of the month comes...along with another FULL MONTHS bill. So, we are being charged for two full months in one month or we must pay a late fee. Oh - and there is no grace period with this company.

What military family can do that???????? (Okay so we were covered but thats because we are Dave Ramsey fans and have an incredible budgeting system worked out that would sustain the strain until the next payday.)

You see, this company just decided that they were going to print the bills a little early this month, which in turn changes the due date.

You can imagine the panic. And the calls to housing. So housing works out to give us until Feb 5th to pay the bill. A ONE TIME exception for us.

WHAT???? Why are we being treated like people that don't pay our bills? And what company is so awful that they print bills whenever they feel like it instead of on a routine schedule? I'll tell you what company. One that was looking forward to a massive amount of $15 late fees to start the year with. I was very lucky I caught the change...it was by accident.

And you know what else they said? To not forget we could have this bill on allotment and pulled directly out of our paychecks.

Aaaauuuummmmm....that definitely means you would have recieved a late fee as the allotment is paid on a certain date each month. (And this situation is exactly why I will not allow allotments or auto pays on bills.)

So, if you are a friend in this area...do me a favor. Make sure and call housing and complain so we can get this company kicked to the curb. Women and children that are dealing with their husbands TDY, deployments and hazardous duty pay do NOT need this kind of crappy business practices shoved down our throats also.

These guys gotta go.

So What's Up.......

Car wreck two.

Kitchen flooded multiple times by washer. Drains snakes multiple times. Still not fixed.

Sparking sockets in the living room.

A broken garage door.

Snow. Snow. Snow.

Dryer not working. Lovely high pitched scream.

Strange puddle creeping out from under the fridge. Looks like Coke. Smells like rust.

Its been a week.


And 5 of these are currently occurring today.

And the hubs took leave to complete/catch up on some college work.

Heh. That ain't happen.

On My Mind.....

Over at Down To Earth, Friday's are On My Mind days. You post a photo of something that is one your mind TODAY and link back. So today is my first time joining in....because at least that way you guys will still know I'm alive and kicking. Even if I am buried in snow. (Rigghhhttttt say my friends who have been seriously dumped on this year.)

Spending lots of time in the grown up play room. Hubs put shelves up and finally moved into his space for real. I had to change all my stuff around because my extra table was on the wrong side to help with the actual quilting.

This is where you can find me the next couple of months as I work on a couple of big projects. Great place to be in snowy weather.